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Tuesday, June 30, 2015

If you cook, you know the importance of following a recipe in order to create a scrumptious meal. In fact, there are several similarities between good cooking and resume writing. Let’s look at a few:

Preparation: Quality ingredients are the building blocks of great cooking. You want to start with the best and freshest you can find. The same can be said for resumes. Research targeted job descriptions within your field of interest to obtain the language and keywords you can use for the ingredients throughout your resume. Think of each job description as a recipe in which the employer is telling you what they are looking for. Key words, pulled from the specific job descriptions, will help you make your resume more appetizing to an employer.

Assembly: Like any successful dish, layering flavors gives the meal a deeper and richer experience. Resumes should be assembled so that the most valuable information is seen first. The Summary of Qualifications should be right after your name and contact information. This is your pitch to the reader explaining how you are qualified for this position. Showing a robust summary of your best qualities and how they make you a good fit is what will move your resume from dull to delicious! Next, think about what makes you a great candidate for the position. Look to the job description for further guidance. What seems important to the employer? Lead with your strengths and position the following sections accordingly: specialized competencies (technology, business acumen, certifications, etc.), relevant professional experience and education. This layering format prioritizes the most important features so the employer sees them first and is motivated to learn more about you. To assist in assembling your resume, utilize the resume resources available on the WGU Career & Professional Development website including a brief Resumes 101 webinar, a resume builder, and a resume library with industry specific resume samples.Let it bake. The raw ingredients and the assembly of the dish are only part of a chef’s job. Those ingredients and flavors need to meld into the delicious creation it was meant to be. Your resume is now ready to cook! You have done your research, you put the layers together and filled them in with just the right keywords, bullet points and accomplishments. Now, it all needs to marinate to create the document that results in an interview. One great way to do this, so that it doesn’t get chopped, is to send it to WGU Career & Professional Development for a review. Look to us as your test kitchen. We’re hungry to help you!

Serve it up! After you have created your resume and had it reviewed by our staff, it’s time to dish it up for your audience to consume! There are as many job boards online as there are spices to choose from. Consider using the WGU Students & Graduates Job Board in addition to other popular job boards for your job search needs.

We wish you luck in your job search and remember, we’ll always have a table ready for you to explore and discuss a full menu of other services. Please visit us often to satisfy your career cravings. Bon Appetite!

Tuesday, June 16, 2015

Research. If you are in the market for a job or thinking about your next step, research is a vital part of making a positive impression on a potential employer. You’ve worked hard to complete your degree so now it’s time to make sure you are using every tool available to get the job or promotion that you are hoping for. Taking time to research employers that you are interested in is an essential component to a successful job search. It might seem a bit intimidating at first because it’s sometimes hard to know where to start and there’s a lot of information out there but that’s where WGU Career and Professional Development comes in. We have many excellent resources designed to help you get started in this process.

The first step is to identify what matters to you. This is an important and often overlooked step. You have to have a focus in order to reach your goal. To get started in this process make sure you review our self-assessment and industry research tools.Next, think about what you value in an organization. Are you open to re-location? Are you interested in a large company or a small company? Is professional development important to you? These are just a few of the things you can consider as your begin researching companies.Once you have set a foundation, you can narrow the field to 5 - 10 companies that you think would be a good fit and then begin your research. The best place to start your research is with the company’s website and LinkedIn page. You can look for the Mission Statement or the About Us section to get some of the basic information, but don’t stop there. WGU Career & Professional Development has a wealth of information on a wide range of companies including the latest industry trends.

For specific information on companies, check out our Employer Research Resources including CareerBeam (which lists company overviews, key information and business intelligence for 60M+ organizations) and Hoovers (a database with proprietary information on more than 40,000 public and non-public companies and 225,000 key executives). Remember, the more you know about the company the more targeted your resume and cover letter will be and the more prepared you will be during an interview. Doing your research lets an employer know that you are really interested in them and not just “a job”, increasing your chances of being hired.

Tuesday, June 2, 2015

With thousands of job boards available online today, it can be easy to
limit your job search to only applying to jobs found online. However, the most
effective job search incorporates a variety of strategies and time spent applying
to positions found online should only be a small portion of your search. For
increased job search success, consider incorporating these strategies into your
job search.

1. Know Thy Self. To plan an effective job search it is time well spent to assess
what you love, identifying your values, interests, personality, and passions.
You’ll also want to take inventory of what you are good at, recognizing skills,
abilities, strengths, and accomplishments. Finally, make sure to clarify your
financial needs and lifestyle goals and ensure that occupations and industries
of interest meet those goals through market research. When you know yourself
and what you bring to a job you’ll be able to choose jobs that are good matches
for you – which is a big WIN for you and the employer!

2. Target Your Job Search. Your
job search will be more successful with a targeted approach instead of just
“applying for anything”.

By following this targeted approach, your process will be more focused,
networking becomes easier, and you will be more convincing in your interactions
with hiring managers.3. Develop Marketing Materials. As you
are job searching, you want to create a brand, as you “sell yourself” to
companies. You can market yourself effectively through a host of tools
including your info-mercial, resumes and cover letters, portfolios, social media
profiles, and eventually during your interview. WGU Career & Professional Development is here to help you craft and fine tune your
marketing materials!

4. Network. Networking often sounds a
lot scarier than it is. Networking is simply exchanging information with individuals
to enhance your career and job search.

Identify your network including family, friends, former colleagues,
neighbors and anyone who has connections or is a connection that relates back
to your job search goals. Identify individuals who work for the companies you
would like to work for and seek introductions to current and former employees
so you can do research on the best way to get hired.

Utilize LinkedIn. LinkedIn is a
professional social media site designed specifically for networking and is an
essential tool to incorporate into your job search. Also, by choosing WGU, you
are now part of an international network of WGU students and alumni. Make sure
to join the Western Governors University Student and Alumni group on LinkedIn and to check out
the careers of fellow WGU Night Owls.

Join professional groups and associations. Make time to attend industry
events, trainings and other in-person opportunities to meet like-minded
professionals.

Conduct informational interviews. An informational interview is a meeting in which a job seeker
asks for career and industry advice from an individual who is working in an
occupation or industry of interest. The job seeker uses the interview to
gather information on the field, to find employment leads, and expand their
professional network. The key to remember is that during the informational
interview, you are NOT asking for a job, but gathering information.

5. Manage Your Job Search.
Manage your search by keeping track of the jobs you have applied for and the
correspondence you have had with an employer.
Consider creating a folder in your email account for job searching, with
emails you send and receive. You can also create a folder on your desktop to
save job descriptions, cover letters, and resumes. Creating an excel spreadsheet can be a great
way to keep track of the jobs you have applied to and the interactions you have
had relating to different positions.6. Follow- up.

Keep track of dates that you submitted applications and if possible,
follow-up on the application with a phone call or email one to two weeks later.

Utilize LinkedIn to identify hiring managers and recruiters. Invite
them to connect and review your profile, reiterating your interest in the
position to which you applied.

Say thank you to any individuals who provide information and assistance
along the way whether it’s an employer, friend, or networking contact.

Keep you network updated on your progress. If you are contacted for an
interview because a connection passed along your resume to the hiring manager, provide
them with an update and definitely thank them for their efforts!